Ocular Inflammatory Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination in the Paediatric Population: A Multinational Case Series

ABSTRACT

Background

Ocular inflammatory events following COVID-19 vaccination have been reported in the adult population.

Methods

Multinational case series of patients under the age of 18 diagnosed with ocular inflammatory events within 28 days of COVID-19 vaccination.

Results

Twenty individuals were included. The most common event was anterior uveitis (n = 8, 40.0%), followed by intermediate uveitis (7 patients, 35%), panuveitis (4 patients, 20%), and posterior uveitis (1 patient, 5%). The event was noticed in the first week after vaccination in 11 patients (55.0%). Twelve patients (60.0%) had a previous history of intraocular inflammatory event. Patients were managed with topical corticosteroids (n = 19, 95.0%), oral corticosteroids (n = 10, 50.0%), or increased dose of immunosuppressive treatment (n = 6, 30.0%). Thirteen patients (65.0%) had a complete resolution of the ocular event without complications. All patients had a final visual acuity unaffected or less than three lines of loss.

Conclusion

Ocular inflammatory events may happen in the paediatric population following COVID-19 vaccination. Most events were successfully treated, and all showed a good visual outcome.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• ocular inflammation
• paediatric
• uveitis
• vaccination

Acknowledgments

Alejandro Salazar-Rodríguez for data collection on behalf of Inflammatory Eye Disease Clinic, Asociacion Para Evitar la Ceguera en Mexico, I.A.P. Mexico City, Mexico.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Additional information

Funding

AL Solebo is supported by an NIHR Clinician Scientist award CS-2018-18-ST2-005. This work was undertaken at UCL Institute of Child Health/Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology/Moorfields Eye Hospital, which receive a proportion of funding from the Department of Health’s NIHR Biomedical Research Centers funding scheme.